IRVINE, Calif., June 26, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ChromaDex Corp. (NASDAQ: CDXC), an innovator of proprietary health, wellness and nutritional ingredients that creates science-based solutions for dietary supplement, food and beverage, skin care, sports nutrition, and pharmaceutical products announced today that it has appointed Dr. Rudolph Tanzi, Vice-Chair of Neurology and Director of the Genetics and Aging Research Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital, and the Joseph P. and Rose F. Kennedy Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School, to the Scientific Advisory Board (SAB).

ChromaDex’s Founder and CEO, Frank Jaksch, stated, “Dr. Tanzi is a true pioneer in the fields of Alzheimer’s research and Neurology. His expertise and scientific network will be instrumental in helping to identify and execute opportunities to study NIAGEN ® nicotinamide riboside (NR) and its impact on brain health.”

Dr. Tanzi, commented, "The studies that Dr. Charles Brenner has published on NR have already created a great deal of interest in the field of brain health and neurological disease. I am very excited to now join forces with ChromaDex in exploring the potential for NR in improving brain health and overall wellness."

Tanzi received his B.S. (microbiology) and B.A. (history) at the University of Rochester in 1980, and his Ph.D. (neurobiology) at Harvard Medical School in 1990. His research achievements include serving on the team that discovered the Huntington’s, Wilson’s, and other such disease genes. He is well-known as the co-discoverer of all three early-onset familial Alzheimer’s disease genes, an area of study in which he continues important work today.

Additionally, Tanzi has published over 500 research papers and received the highest awards in his field, as well as the Smithsonian American Ingenuity Award, the top national award for invention and innovation. He serves on a various editorial and scientific advisory boards and was named to TIME magazine’s list of TIME100 Most Influential People in the World (2015). He co-authored the popular trade books “Decoding Darkness,” a New York Times bestseller, “Super Brain,” and international bestseller “Super Genes”.

ChromaDex, President and Chief Strategy Officer, Rob Fried said “We recognize the importance in working with the world's best scientific minds to manage this important ingredient. Dr. Tanzi,, like all of our scientific advisors, is a big believer in NIAGEN ® and the work of Dr. Brenner.”

Head of the ChromaDex SAB, and Professor at Stanford Medical School, Roger Kornberg, added, “As the portfolio of science pertaining to NR and ChromaDex’s other ingredient research expands into an ever-growing number of areas, so does the strength and expertise of the members of our Scientific Advisory Board. We are pleased to have yet another accomplished researcher who is passionate about advancing the understanding of complex scientific areas, as part of our team.”

ChromaDex, being publicly traded on NASDAQ, gives the public an opportunity for investing in the business of science-based technologies for healthy aging and longevity. To date, ChromaDex has invested millions in safety, toxicology and human clinical trials on Nicotinamide Riboside (NR). It has also 2 initiated over 100 collaborative studies with leading universities and research institutions such as the National Institute of Aging, MIT and the Scripps Research Institute representing an estimated $50 million in NR research.

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is an essential coenzyme in cellular metabolism. Published research suggests that many aging-related health challenges are linked to NAD+ deficiency. NAD+ and its metabolites such as Nicotinamide Riboside (NR) have been the focus of intense scientific research and popular news media coverage recently due to their believed roles in healthy aging and healthspan. NR has been shown to safely and effectively increase NAD+ in human subjects supported by published research in Nature Communications.

ChromaDex leverages its complementary business units to discover, acquire, develop and commercialize patented and proprietary ingredient technologies that address the dietary supplement, food, beverage, skin care and pharmaceutical markets. In addition to our ingredient technologies unit, we also have business units focused on natural product fine chemicals (known as "phytochemicals"), chemistry and analytical testing services, and product regulatory and safety consulting. As a result of our relationships with leading universities and research institutions, we are able to discover and license early stage, IP-backed ingredient technologies. We then utilize our in-house chemistry, regulatory and safety consulting business units to develop commercially viable ingredients. Our ingredient portfolio is backed with clinical and scientific research, as well as extensive IP protection. Our portfolio of patented ingredient technologies includes NIAGEN ® nicotinamide riboside; pTeroPure ® pterostilbene; PURENERGY ® , a caffeine-pTeroPure ® co-crystal; IMMULINA ™ , a spirulina extract; and AnthOrigin ™ , anthocyanins derived from a domestically-produced, water-extracted purple corn husk. To learn more about ChromaDex, please visit www.ChromaDex.com.

Forward-Looking Statements:

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including statements related to expertise of Dr. Tanzi, NR’s potential in brain and neuronal health, and results of the NR studies and their significance. Statements that are not a description of historical facts constitute forward-looking statements and may often, but not always, be identified by the us of such words as "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "estimates", "plans", "potential", "possible", "probable", "believes", "seeks", "may", "will", "should", "could" or the negative of such terms or other similar expressions. More detailed information about ChromaDex and the risk factors that may affect the realization of forward-looking statements is set forth in ChromaDex's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016, ChromaDex's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings submitted by ChromaDex to the SEC, copies of which may be obtained from the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof, and actual results may differ materially from those suggested by these forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement and ChromaDex undertakes no obligation to revise or update this release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.